John f



(No Model.)

J. F. WILLIAMS.

GAR.

Patented S6 1751 I NlIE TATES Arena FFICE.

CAVR.

$IEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,929, dated September 10, 1895.

Application filed July 20,1895. Serial No.556,568. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat 1, JOHN F. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Harrisburg,State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements guard or protector which may be placed over the chains employed for closing and opening the doors through which the coal or other material is delivered from the bottom of the hopper, as more fully set forth. In hopper-bottom coal-cars as usually constructed the chains employed for closing and opening the delivery doors are secured at one end to a winding shaft or drum extending transversely across the car near the lower portion thereof, and the chains hang within the car among the coal and at their lower ends are secured to the hopper doorsr The coal is generally saturated with moisture, and in winter or in freezing weather the particles of coal, together with the chains, are tightly frozen together, making it almost impossible to eifect the delivery of the coal, as the latter at the bottom of the hoppers is frozen in a solid mass which must be broken up before it will fall through the discharge-openings, and owing to the freezing of the chains in the mass the doors are opened with the greatest difficulty, it being necessary at times to either break the doors from their hinges or to cut away from underneath the car the securing-bolts which fasten the doors to the chains. To overcome these difficulties I provide on the transverse winding-shaft, immediately over each of the chains, a guard or protecting-hood, which prevents the direct contact of the chain with the coal, the guard being loosely hung upon the shaft so that it is free to move and swing thereon in order not to interfere with the discharge of the coal from the car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of sufficient of the body portion of a hopperbottom car to illustrate the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 isa transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detached perspective View of a chain-guard made in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, A A. represent the sides, and B the bottom, of an ordinary form of hopper-car having two discharge-hoppers D D, closed by hinged doorsE E, which extend completely across the months at the bottom of the two hoppers and being hinged at e to the edges of the hopper-mouth.

At the level of the floor of the car is a transversely-extending chain-winding shaft G, provided with a squared end portion 9 for the application of a suitable operating-crank, and being provided, as usual, with a detent-Wheel and pawl to lock the shaft when the chains have been wound thereon to close the dis charge-doors E E. The chains each comprise a main chain H, connected by a link It to two lower chains h 71 connected, respectively, to the discharge-doors E E, the lower chains being arranged to separate from each other with the connecting-link h as a pivot point when the doors open, and to come together again as the doors are gradually closed by the turning of the shaft G and the wind ing of the main chain H thereon.

Mounted-loosely on the shaft G and fitting over each of the sets of chains is a guard 1, comprising two main castings 'i *0", adapted to be bolted together over the shaft, and a lower depending tubular portion '5 which extends to the upper surface of the discharge-doors when the latter are in the closed position. These guards hang loosely on the shaft and are free to move longitudinally thereon to follow the course of the chain in winding or unwinding and will effectually prevent any contact of the coal with the chain, so that even if the coal is tightly frozen thechains may be unwound and the doors opened, when the coal may be then loosened through the opening of the bottom of the hopper and the discharge of the coal effected.

Chain-guards constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention will protect all portions of the chain, preventing any-deteriorating action of the sulphur in the coal, and the chain will not only last for a much longer time, but will enable the car to be emptied Without regard to the condition of the coal,

ICO

' to the discharge doors, a chain guard comprising two connected or integral main portions carried loosely by the shaft, one of such main portions covering the chain wound on the shaft and the other main portion surrounding the depending portion of the chain, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a car having bottom discharge doors, of a shaft, chains connecting the shaft to such discharge doors, and a protecting guard or casing carried loosely on the shaft and extending over and protecting the chain from contact with the contents of the car.

3. The combination of the car, a transversely arranged chain winding shaft, G, thereon, downwardly opening doors, E, E, hinged to the lower portion of the car and closing discharge openings therein, chains connecting such doors to said chain winding shaft and a protecting guard fitted loosely to theshaft and comprising sectionsngi', adapted to be bolted around said shaft and a depending tubular portion, 4 extending therefrom to a point immediately over the discharge doors, .E, E, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of July, A. D. 1895.

JOHN F. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

W. 0. SMITH, J. PORTER SMITH. 

